RCED-91-84: Published: Jan 2, 1991. Publicly Released: Jan 2, 1991.

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Growing dependence on imported oil, the need to develop new technologies to use energy cleanly and efficiently, and the tremendous problems at the Nation's nuclear weapons complex have all served to thrust the Department of Energy, and its programs, once again into the public spotlight. Because of these challenges, energy issues will continue to play a major role in economic and environmental public policy decisions during the 1990s. The question of how we, as a country, develop energy policy will depend largely upon the availability of accurate, timely information and an analysis of key energy concerns upon which we can make our decision.

This annual index includes information on U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) documents directly related to energy that were issued between January and December 1990. This index should be useful for general information and research purposes and for understanding energy issues that GAO is addressing.

Energy Policy

GAO's report, issued June 1990, examines how the U.S. can secure sufficiant and reliable future energy supplies to meet increasing demands. The report covers DOE's national energy strategy, energy supply and demand, dependence on foreign oil, electricity production and consumption, environmental effects of energy consumption, and many other energy policy related issues.

Gasoline Marketing

The federal government is doing little to prevent gas stations from selling low-octane fuel at high-octane prices, a mislabeling practice affecting about nine percent of all gas sales nationwide and cheating more than $150 million annually from motorists.

PUREX Restart

GAO believes that the Secretary of Energy should decide whether reopening the Plutonium-Uranium Extraction plant (PUREX) at the Hanford Site in Washington state is worth the costs and whether the facility is needed for its intended purposes.